Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

For school IT professionals, many of the requests they hear seem foreign as they contradict much that they “know” about teaching and learning and schooling. We will also see those requests contradict what they believe about IT configurations as well.

Many adults pursue work in schools with the intent of replicating the structures and instruction they experienced, but that may not be what all students need.

The diverse nature of students and the broad nature of the curriculum is part of what make schools unusual places to work for IT professionals.

One of the most distressing realizations one makes when they become a teacher is that the best lesson plans one makes are just guesses. Students will have their say about how effective it is.

IT for Teaching https://hackscience.net/2024/02/25/it-for-teaching/

I appreciate the folks who encourage students to buy copies (either hardcopy or ebook) versions of my book that is available under Creative Commons.

Once users begin interacting with IT systems, additional variables are introduced based on users’ capacity and preferences, and those variables cannot be known by the designers.

Why am I learning this?

Too often students cannot answer this… and they don’t believe their teachers.

Todd Rose begins his 2015 book The End of Average with the story of fighter pilots in the 1940’s who were unable to control their planes because the cockpits were designed for the “average” body. Once cockpits were designed to adjust to the actual bodies of pilots, they found pilots more able to control them.

Thinking you know what your students’ future will be is a special kind of hubris.

When we ignore evidence that is contrary to our opinions, we make terrible decisions.

What do you do if you realize your lesson isn’t working?

And don’t tell me, all of your lessons “work.”

Well, you may tell me that and come out as delusional.

I don’t know about you, but “learning intentions” seems less aggressive than “learning objectives.”

Hey presenters… if you aren’t going to actually adapt your presentation to what we say about ourselves when you start, don’t waste the time.

I heard “I already know how to do this” many times in my career as a teacher. When I asked students to “prove it” (in a non challenging tone), about half did.

If your students already know the curriculum, why teach it?

Leders often make mistakes when hiring technology people, but they do not admit to other or to themselves.

Here is one of my favorite ways to find out the degree to which a leader has thought about their decisions or goals: I ask, “What will be the effect if this doesn’t happen?”

We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely. -- E. O. Wilson

No one is dumb who is curious. The people who don't ask questions remain clueless throughout their lives. --Neil deGrasse Tyson